Free Low Income Cell Phones
In 2005, the free low income cell phones also known as the Lifeline program was established by the national government of America and funded by various phone companies and non-government organizations. Beside from free mobile phones, free network services are also included within the package. By 2008, millions of individuals have acquired free cell phones. However, not all individuals are qualified to sign-up for this program. Screening is done to ensure that only the ones in need can receive it. You may be wondering how one avails these free cell phones and calls.
Qualifications of Lifeline program
As the programs name implies, these free cell phones are given to individuals or families with a low income. A classic example is a family of four generating an income of less than $30,000 per year would receive 1 cell phone. This is actually the governments way of supporting deprived individuals especially in todays economic crisis. And with the help of various sponsors, this visualization became a dream come true.
There are three companies involved in this program which are SafeLink, ReachOut and Assurance. You can check their websites for more information. As for their qualifications, each state has different poverty guidelines. However, in general, being part of the poverty line and various federal programs qualifies you to apply for free cell phones. To give you an idea of which programs may entitle you to apply, here are some of the programs involved; Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), housing energy assistance and many more. If you are receiving support from the government, you may want to check if it will qualify you to receive free phones.
Features of the Lifeline program
Depending on the company where you applied, different types of cell phones are given. Mostly they give away non-camera phones but each phone contains features such as call waiting, caller ID and other basic cell phone features. For the cell phone brands, SafeLink gives out Samsung, Motorola and LG that works on both AT&T and T-Mobile networks while Assurance gives out Kyocera which work with Sprint network. ReachOut on the other hand, gives away brands such as Nokia, Audiovox, Motorola and Samsung which works in both Sprint and Verizon network.
For the free network services, all of the three companies offer free 250 minutes worth of calls that can be converted into text messages with a ratio of 1 minute is to 1 text message. One may also avail for international calls and additional minutes but you have to pay for it.
How to apply for a Lifeline program?
If you think you are eligible for the free phone, you can apply for a Lifeline program at any of the three companies mentioned above. There they will ask you for the necessary information such as you name, address, e-mail address and contact number. They will also ask for your social security number to counter check if you are really receiving government support that is linked to your income. Once your application is approved, all you need to do is to wait for your free low income cell phones for a maximum of 10 working days by means of registered mail.
